Father,
One of the reasons we love you is because you answer when we ask you for mercy. And each time you answer, our love for you grows. And so we ask you for things all the more. And we take all the more delight in your answers because we know that you do not give grudgingly, but you delight to give good gifts to us. So much of the time that we ask for relief, it’s because our souls are in pain. It seems that there are more ways our hearts can be hurt than our bodies. But you restore our souls and bring us back to rest. Help us to be all the more careful and take all the more pleasure in doing what you have asked of us because of your attentive mercy to us.
We rarely have to wonder if we’ll have enough to eat, but we often wonder how we will have enough hours in the day to do all that is demanded of us. We rarely have to wonder if we’ll have clothes to wear, but the speed and complexity of life often leave us feeling overwhelmed. We rarely have to wonder if we’ll have a place to sleep, but the pain and anxiety of life often keeps us awake. Give us our daily bread for our inner selves. Strengthen us to meet each day’s new challenges with trust and boldness and fresh patience. Keep us from fear and timidity and irritability. Strengthen us in mind to know how to know the scriptures and see the hidden wonders there and cut through the confusing darkness with its light. Strengthen us to face anxiety squarely, and then confidently make our requests to you, and then receive from you the incomprehensible peace and find our anxiety relieved.
Though many daily blessings flow from our relationship with you, keep our attention most of all on the cross. May our hearts be moved most to love by considering your love there. May we marvel most at your wisdom because of how you displayed it there; the powers of darkness never dreamed you would redeem the world by letting them crucify the Lord of glory. May our own daily actions be most guided by the cross, serving others through our own loss as we entrust ourselves to you who judge justly.
Please give strength to all those who lead the service this morning. Help each of us to worship you with our whole being. May all that is done here today be pleasing to you.